Dr. Merita Kucuku

Lecturer
Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences and Imaging
Faculty of Technical Medical Sciences

Bio

Education

Publications

With 15 years of experience in the field of safety and efficacy & regulatory issues of vaccines in the National Agency for Medicines & Medical Devices (NAMMD). Also, experience in environmental issues as an expert or drafter of projects. Experience in control laboratory issues.

2006- 2012 Head of the National Regulatory Authority of Vaccines & Immunobiological Products in Albania.
1997-2002 Chairwoman of “ARBERIA” Women Association in Albania
2018- 2021 Head of Control Laboratory, National Agency for Medicines & Medical Devices

Trained from WHO for Safety and Adverse Events Following Immunization of Vaccines, Sweden, Morocco, Tunisia
Trained on:” Good Manufacturing Practices” course, arranged by WHO, KFDA, Seoul- South Korea
Trained for Vaccine Quality Control Technology BIKEN Institute Japan.
Trained for Quality Assurance/Quality Control measures pesticide residue analytical laboratories”, Siebersdorf, Vienna Austria
Trained for Instrumental Analysis HPLC-MS & GC, GC- MS Helsinki University Finland & Delft University Netherlands.
Different trainings for Environmental issues: SEA, EIA from Sida Sweden, Croatia, Ukraine.

2017- 2020 Drafter of the project: “Strengthening sound chemicals and pharmaceutical waste management in Albania” which was implemented by the Ministry of Tourism and Environment and National Agency for Medicines & Medical Devices, financed from UNO

· Temporary Expert of WHO

· External expert for the safety of vaccines in pregnancy women Maryland USA

· National expert on the identification of populations at risks and gender dimensions under MIA project, UNDP, Feb. 1- May 30,
2018

· Expert in the project:” Strengthening of capacities for chemical management in Albania”, arranged from UNITAR 2011-2013

· Lecturer part-time at University “Aleksander Moisiu”, Durres, currently lecturer at University “Aleksander Xhuvani” Elbasan

· Mentor for scientific research of master students, Camerino University Italy

· Member of the international working group for the safety of vaccines with GAIA WG, Brighton Collaboration, CDC, FDA., AIFA Italy.

· Different experiences for presentation at National & International conferences, author and co-author for articles published in national and international journals.

· Academic editor and member of the editorial board in international journals.

2003- 2006 Study Master Degree
2007- 2010 Study PhD

· Quality Control of Medicines and the role of quality control Laboratory EC Clinical and Medical Case Reports

· Adjuvants, their role and safety profile in vaccines, EC Clinical and Medical Case Reports, Volume 6 Issue 5-2023

· Vaccines against Rotavirus, Data Based on a Study for Safety and Efficacy, EC Clinical and Medical Case Reports, Volume 6 Issue 1, 51-64, January 2023.

· Neonatal seizures: Case Definition& Guidelines for Data Collection, Analysis, and Presentation of Immunization Safety Data, 2019 Dec 10;37(52):7596-7609. doi: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2019.05.031.

· Regulatory System: Safety and Efficacy of Vaccines, J Vaccines Vaccine 2017, Vol 9(1): 380 DOI: 10.4172/2157-7560.1000380

· The safety of yellow fever vaccines, international experience for different cases, Adv. Tech. in Biol. and Med. 2017, 5:1 doi:10.4172/2379-1764.1000204

· Spontaneous abortion and ectopic pregnancy: Case Definition & Guidelines for data collection, analysis, and presentation of maternal immunization safety data, Vaccine Volume 35, Issue 48, Part A, 4 Dec. 2017, Pg 6563-6574

· Systemic Lupus Erythematosus: Case definition and guidelines for data collection, analysis and presentation of immunization safety data

· Kawasaki disease and immunization: Standardised case definition & guidelines for data collection, analysis, Vaccine, 2016 Dec 12; 34(51):6582-6596. doi: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2016.09.025. Epub 2016 Nov 15. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27863715

· Spontaneous reports of vasculitis as an adverse event following immunization: A descriptive analysis across three international databases , Vaccine 2015 Sep 18. pii: S0264-410X(15)01293-1. doi: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2015.09.027. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26392009

· Vasculitis as an adverse event following immunization-Systematic literature review, Vaccine 2015 Sep 19. pii: S0264-410X(15)01292-X. doi: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2015.09.026. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26398442

· A Review of flaviviruses and flavivirus vaccines, Journal of Natural & Technical Sciences, Vol.XIX (2), 37-45, 2014 Albanian Academy of Science, Tirana Albania)

· The Role of pharmacovigilance on control of vaccines, JRM 7(1), 42-45, 2012

· Analysis of Mercurial Preservatives in Different Vaccines by Cold Vapor Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometry, Journal of Analytical Science And Technology, Vol. 3(1), page 121-127, March 2012

· Safety of Tetanus Toxoid Vaccine for Pregnant Women, JRM, Vol. 5, N0 1, page 92-93, June 2010.

· Investigation of the robustness of determination method of thimerosal in DTP vaccine, Medical Bulletin of Medical Faculty Tirana Albania No 12008, page 95-98.

· Dependence of absorbance of thimerosal preservative in DTP vaccine with Calibration curve method and additives standards method by Spectrophotometer; Journal of Science Academy of Azerbaijan, ”Power Engineering Problems”, No.1, 2008, page 111-118, Azerbaijan.

· Composition of meningococcal and pneumococcal conjugate vaccines; Medical Journal of Institute of Public Health of Albania, Tirana Albania No 1, 2008, page 77-89.

· Vaccine for treatment of Melanoma, Medical Journal of Institute of Public Health Tirana, Albania, No.1, 2008, page 99-109.

· Dependence of thiomersal’s absorbance vs time in DTP vaccine, Journal, Macedonia, Medicus No 1, 2009, page 14-18).